[Cover photo: William Quan Judge (April 13, 1851-March
21, 1896). "He is one of the three founders of the Theosophical
Society, the only three who have remained as true as rock to the Cause
..." - H.P. Blavatsky, in E.S. Instruction No. III.]

*

THEOSOPHIA
A Living Philosophy for Humanity

Published every Three Months. Sponsored
by an International Group of Theosophists.
Objectives: To uphold and promote the Original Principles of the modern
Theosophical Movement, and to disseminate the teachings of the Esoteric
Philosophy as set
forth by H.P. Blavatsky and her Teachers.
Editor: Boris de Zirkoff.
Subscriptions: $1.50 a year (four issues); single copy 40 cents. Send all
subscriptions, renewals and correspondence to: 615 South Oxford Avenue, Los
Angeles 5, California.
Make checks and money orders payable to "Theosophia."

None of the organized Theosophical Societies, as such, are responsible
for any ideas expressed in this magazine, unless contained in an official
document. The Editor is responsible for unsigned articles only.

*

THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER ...

"The wave of life in 1975 may not show itself so much as one person
with a fresh idea, but as a heaving of humanity like a massive roller
of the ocean. The messenger may be like the crest of the wave, a product
of it, not the cause. This was Carlyle's idea, that the times produced
the man. This accumulated surge in each of us, individually, will determine
the size and power of the wave and the greatness of the crest. Waiting
for a prophet to lead us will produce only a ripple. The Western world
is full of yogis. It is the old idea of God without. Let Joe do it but
never me. I just want the glory, not the slugging. It is the awakening
of the Divine Spark within each single one of us that will produce the
roller that will wash high up on the shore of man's selfishness and sweep
away the pollution and distortions of H.P.B.'s teachings that have piled
up in the past century ... Let's ... try to follow the example of H.P.B.
and try to learn the lessons in her books that she tried to teach us.
Let's develop the tools that she used: vision, knowledge, courage, determination,
love for mankind and unselfishness ... There is no easy way out. No
great teacher can give us a good harvest. It is useless to wait for a
Messiah in '75 to show us the way. Each of us, each unselfish atom, make
up the Messiah. Each has to become the Path. If we are not a part of
him, we shall never recognize him or his message; the message has always
been the same throughout the ages: Truth, Morality, Selflessness ..." -
F.B.B., in The Canadian Theosophist, Jan.-Feb., 1975. [3]

*

WILLIAM QUAN JUDGE: HIS OCCULT STATUSBoris de Zirkoff

The Year Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Five, the hundredth anniversary
of The Theosophical Society, is a most auspicious time in which to correct
some erroneous records and to take a new stand on subjects which have
been for years surrounded with a lot of fuzzy thinking.

Among such subjects none is more serious than the grave injustice committed
against William Quan Judge in the last years of his dedicated life an
injustice which originated in the highest responsible officials of the
Society at the time, and which has never yet been understood, recognized
and cleared up, by those who have been at the helm of the Society ever
since.

As long as this injustice remains unacknowledged, and is not erased
by straight forward action on the part of the highest authorities within
the structure of the Society, it will linger as a pall over Theosophical
activities, and will surface from time to time in some unexpected places
and circumstances, to plague the Organization and throw a shadow on its
path.

Injustice can never be obliterated by the mere passage of time. The
outward circumstances surrounding it may recede into the past and be
considered by people suffering from historical myopia as of no moment
any longer, because of being, according to them, merely "ancient
history." But injustice, as such, remains as a living force, a potentially
coiled spring which does not lose its karmic momentum merely by the passage
of clock-time, and which may be released at any moment to claim redress.

When, in 1894, a number of charges were leveled by Annie Besant against
Mr. Judge, then Vice-President of the Theosophical Society, she stated
that:

"... the vital charge (was) that Mr. Judge had issued letters and
messages in the script recognizable as that adopted by a Master with
whom H.P.B. was closely connected, and that these letters and messages
were neither written nor precipitated directly by the Master in whose
writing they appear ...

"Further, I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not charge
and have not charged Mr. Judge with forgery in the ordinary sense of
the term, but with giving a misleading material form to messages received
psychically from the Master in various ways, without acquainting the
recipient with this fact."* (* From a Statement by Annie Besant
read at the Third Session of the European Convention of the T.S., July
12, 1894. Cf. Lucifer, London, Vol. XIV, August, 1894, pp. 459-60.)

This accusation is "full of holes," as the saying goes. It
shows a complete ignorance of one of the crucial points concerning occult
precipitations. That crucial point is the fact that an occult message
coming from one of the Adepts, and impressed upon the inner psycho-spiritual
organs of his agent, will be conveyed by him or her upon a piece of paper
in the handwriting adopted by that Adept for such use. [4]

In this connection, two very important statements, among others, made
by the Teachers, should be borne in mind. In August, 1882, Master K.H.
wrote to A.P. Sinnett:

"In noticing M's [Master Morya's] opinion of yourself expressed
in some of his letters - (you must not feel altogether so sure that because
they are in his handwriting, they are written by him, though of course
every word is sanctioned by him to serve certain ends) - you say he has
'a peculiar mode of expressing himself to say the least'." * (* The
Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, 2nd ed., p. 232; 3rd ed., p. 229.)

On another occasion, approximately at the same time, the same Teacher,
writing to A. P. Sinnett, explained:

In Volume IX of The Path (April, 1894, p. 18), certain words
of H.P.B. are quoted on the subject of precipitations. She says:

"If you think Master is going to be always precipitating things,
you mistake. Yes, He can do it. But most of the precipitations are by
chelas who would seem to you almost Masters. I see His orders, and the
thoughts and words He wishes used, and I precipitate them in that form;
so does - and one or two more."

In reply to a question concerning Masters' handwritings, she stated
in the same place:

"Anything you write is your handwriting, but it
is not your personal handwriting, generally used and first learned if
you assume or adopt some form. Now you know that Masters' handwritings,
peculiar and personal to Themselves, are foreign both as to sound and
form - Indian sorts, in fact. So They adopted a form in English, and
in that form I precipitate Their messages at Their direction ... The
message has to be seen in the astral light in facsimile, and through
that astral matrix I precipitate the whole of it ..."* (* Cf. H.
P. Blavatsky, Collected
Writings, Vol. X, p. 269.)

It is obvious from this passage that H.P.B., acting under the instruction
of one or another of the Masters, produced precipitated letters or notes in
their own adopted handwriting. No student seems to have ever questioned
her bona fide in doing so. It is of some importance to bear in
mind that the above-quoted explanations published in The Path,
were available in print at about the same time that serious accusations
were hurled against Mr. Judge.

"... during all the years since 1875 I have been
taught much about occultism by the Masters and their friends, and have
been shown how to produce some phenomena, among others the precipitation
of writing for the [5] Masters at certain times. This is always
in the form to which the prosecutors most foolishly object. These teachings
began - notwithstanding ignorance of it on the part of Col. Olcott, who
takes pains to say he knows nothing of it, and that I am probably a medium
- in 1875 with H.P.B. In that year, the first precipitation done through
me was effected in New York ..."* (* Reply by William Quan Judge
to Charges of Misuse of Mahatmas' Names and Handwritings. Read at
Boston T.S. Convention, April 29, 1895. See page 15 of the pamphlet edition
of this Statement.)

The "form to which the prosecutors most foolishly object" means
the handwritings as adopted by the Teachers for purposes of precipitated
communications.

It would appear therefore that the Masters themselves, as well as H.P.B.
and Mr. Judge, state, all of them, that precipitations are done in such
a manner as to exhibit the adopted handwritings of those who are desirous
of communicating a message through one or another of their direct agents.

In the light of the passages quoted above, what becomes of the accusation
that Judge, while transmitting admittedly genuine messages from his Superiors,
yet gave them "a misleading material form," meaning the handwriting
used by Judge on those occasions?

It is a great pity to find present-day responsible officials of The
Theosophical Society (Adyar) largely (if not totally) ignorant of the
facts outlined above, while they, of all the people in the Movement,
should be thoroughly familiar with them, and use them as a basis for
right action, if and when such action may be required.

It might be objected that The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett were
not published until December, 1923, and that, therefore, the passages
quoted above were unknown at the time. But it must not be overlooked
that a number of letters written to Sinnett by the Teachers had been
copied by several of the officials of the T.S. and placed in the hands
of a few, carefully selected people. Several partial explanations of
this subject were also available in some of the writings of H.P.B., but
they had not been consulted. Quite apart from that, the complete text
of all the Letters was in the possession of A. P. Sinnett himself and
could have been referred to by responsible officials. However, Sinnett
does not seem to have taken part in the controversy at the time. Having
experienced a complete change of attitude towards H.P.B., even before
her passing, he was busy then trying to establish a "direct" contact
with the Masters by means of a series of psychic mediums in London.

The individual known under the name of William Quan Judge was a Hindu
initiated disciple, a Yogi as a matter of fact, who had taken over the
body of an Irish boy by means of occult avesa or tulku,
i.e., transference of consciousness, when the boy died of typhoid fever.
It is obvious from a number of very important statements by H.P.B. that
this initiated disciple had a very close karmic tie with her, and was
intended to serve as one of the channels between the Teachers and the
outer Movement they were launching at the time. [6]

In a forthright letter dated from London, October 23, 1889,* (* The
original of this letter is in the Archives of the former Point Loma Theosophical
Society.) H.P.B. spoke of Mr. Judge as being "part of herself
since several aeons." The closing part of this letter states:

"The Esoteric Section and its life in the U.S.A. depends on W.Q.J.
remaining its agent & what he is now. The day W.Q.J. resigns, H.P.B.
will be virtually dead for the Americans.

"W.Q.J. is the Antaskarana between the two Manas(es)
the American thought & the Indian - or rather the trans-Himalayan
Esoteric Knowledge.

"Dixi H.P.B. .'.PS.
"W.Q.J. had better show and impress this on the mind of all those
whom it may concern. (H.P.B.)"

At about the same time, when powerful enemies were attempting to undermine
Judge's work in America, and ruin the genuine spirit of esotericism upon
which it was based, H.P.B. wrote the following:

"Ingratitude is a crime in Occultism, and I shall illustrate
the point by citing the case of W. Q. Judge. He is one of the three founders
of the Theosophical Society, the only three who have remained as true
as rock to the Cause. While others have all turned deserters or enemies,
he has ever remained faithful to his original pledge. If one wants to
know how the Masters would feel towards him, let him read what one of
them writes about the fidelity of Colonel Olcott and their appreciation
of it, in a letter published in the Occult World. Though strong
pressure was used to displace him and his associates (Judge along with
them) in favor of another - a newcomer - and all manner of boons were
promised for the T.S., Mahatma 'K.H.' flatly refused, saying that ingratitude
had never been one of their vices. Now that which Colonel Olcott has
accomplished in India and Asia, W. Q. Judge has done in America. He is
the Resuscitator of Theosophy in the United States, and is working to
the best of his means and ability, and at a great sacrifice, for the
spread of the movement; and he is now being infamously attacked and schemed
against for this by one who has never done a thing for the T.S., but
is now trying to crush it out of existence ... Brother Judge refuses
to defend himself, even more than I have refused to defend myself after
the Coulomb conspiracy. No man who knows himself innocent ever will.
But is that a reason why we should let him go undefended? It is
our bounden duty to support him, in every way, with our sympathy and
influence, energetically, not in a half-hearted, timid way. Let our protest
be on merely defensive lines, and not of an aggressive character. For,
if the spirit of true Theosophy does not permit of aggressiveness being
used, yet it does demand in some cases active defense, and it does impose
on everyone of us [7] the duty of taking an active interest in
the welfare of a brother, especially of a persecuted brother, as Mr.
Judge is now ..." * (* E. S. Instruction No.
III, 1890; Preliminary
Explanation.)

In a letter the original of which has not been preserved,
H.P.B. added the following remarks concerning the above-quoted passage: "Let
them read Master's letter in the Preliminary ... All that which I said
about W.Q.J. was from His words in His letter to me ..."* (* Letters
That have Helped Me, Vol. II, pp. 110-11 (1905 ed.); p. 117 (1918
ed.).)

H.P.B. also pointed out that the individual we have
known as William Quan Judge was at times overshadowed by one of the Nirmanakaya behind
the outer Movement;* (* H.P.B.'s letter to Mr. Judge, dated from
Ostende, October 3, 1886; published in The Theosophical Forum,
Point Loma, Calif., Vol, III, August 15, 1932, p. 253.) and one of the
Teachers said that "when the 'Presence' is upon him [W.Q.J.], he
knows well that which others only suspect and 'divine' ..."*
(* Letters That Have Helped Me, Vol. II, p. 100 (1905 ed.);
p. 116 (1918 ed.).)

Inherent karmic weaknesses of the "borrowed" body (karmic
conditions over which even the Masters can have no control), and the
terrible strain occasioned by the cruel persecution experienced by Mr.
Judge from a number of his deluded co-workers, resulted in a premature
collapse of that body, the hereditary tendencies of which could of course
not be set aside, and made it useless for any further work. Such cases
are not altogether exceptional, and occur from time to time in the history
of genuine occult movements.

As we view this whole tragic business, we do not feel that conscience
can be saved by an occasionally friendly word about Mr. Judge or by pointing
to the fact that The Theosophical Publishing House lists his books. (For
that matter, the T.P.H. is selling with equal zest books the contents
of which often flagrantly contradict important points of Theosophical
teaching. True, the T.P.H. is a business organization, and its business
is to sell books; but, from the standpoint of Theosophical ethics
and the dissemination of truth, higher matters are surely of paramount
importance.)

One of the most vital actions to restore harmony among various Theosophical
groups throughout the world, would be for the highest officials of The
Society (Adyar) to make a frank declaration acknowledging that a grave
injustice was done Mr. Judge; that his name should be cleared of all
suspicions; and that all Theosophists should regard him as one of the
three chief Founders of The Theosophical Society - a man whose high occult
status as an agent of the Brotherhood cannot be questioned against the
back-ground of historical facts and available documentary evidence.

The logical place, and the finest opportunity for such a declaration
would be the World Congress of The Theosophical Society to be held in
New York in November, 1975. It would have the authority of the highest
officials in the Organization, and would have the added momentum of a
climacteric occasion which will be remembered for years to come throughout
the Movement. [8]

All this is either unknown or left out of sight altogether.
Indeed, one who is able to follow the silent evolution of the preliminary
aspirations of the candidates, often finds strange ideas quietly taking
possession of their minds. There are those whose reasoning powers have
been so distorted by foreign influences that they imagine that animal
passions can be so sublimated and elevated that their fury, force, and
fire can, so to speak, be turned inwards; that they can be stored and
shut up in one's breast, until their energy is, not expanded, but turned
toward higher and more holy purposes: namely, until their collective
and unexpended strength enables their possessor to enter the true Sanctuary
of the Soul and
stand therein in the presence of the Master - the HIGHER SELF!
For this purpose they will not struggle with their passions nor slay
them. They will simply, by a strong effort of will put down the fierce
flames and keep them at bay within their natures, allowing the fire to
smoulder under a thin layer of ashes. They submit joyfully to the torture
of the Spartan boy who allowed the fox to devour his entrails rather
than part with it. Oh, poor blind visionaries!

As well hope that a band of drunken chimney-sweeps, hot and greasy from
their work, may be shut up in a Sanctuary hung with pure white linen,
and that instead of soiling and turning it by their presence into a heap
of dirty shreds, they will become masters in and of the sacred recess,
and finally emerge from it as immaculate as that recess. Why not imagine
that a dozen of skunks imprisoned in the pure atmosphere of a Dgon-pa (a
monastery) can issue out of it impregnated with all the perfumes of the
incenses used? ... Strange aberration of the human mind. Can it be so?
Let us argue.

The "Master" in the Sanctuary of our souls is "the Higher
Self"--the divine spirit whose consciousness is based upon and derived
solely (at any rate during the mortal life of the man in whom it is captive)
from the Mind, which we have agreed to call the Human Soul (the"Spiritual
Soul" being the vehicle of the Spirit). In its turn the former (the personal or
human soul) is a compound in its highest form, of spiritual aspirations,
volition, and divine love; and in its lower aspect, of animal desires
and terrestrial passions imparted to it by its associations with its
vehicle, the seat of all these. It thus stands as a link and a medium
between the animal nature of man which its higher reason seeks to subdue,
and his divine spiritual nature to which it gravitates, whenever it has
the upper hand in its struggle with the inner animal. The latter
is the instinctual "animal Soul" and is the hotbed of those
passions, which, as just shown, are lulled instead of being killed, and
locked up in their breasts by some imprudent enthusiasts. Do they still
hope to turn thereby the muddy stream of the animal sewer into the crystalline
waters of life? And where, on what neutral ground can they be imprisoned
so as not to affect man? The fierce passions of love and lust are still
alive and they are allowed to still remain in the place of their birth
- that same animal soul;for both the higher and the lower [9] portions
of the "Human Soul" or Mind reject such inmates, though they
cannot avoid being tainted with them as neighbours. The "Higher
Self" or Spirit is as unable to assimilate such feelings as water
to get mixed with oil or unclean liquid tallow. It is thus the mind alone,
the sole link and medium between the man of earth and the Higher Self
- that is the only sufferer, and which is in the incessant danger of
being dragged down by those passions that may be re-awakened at any moment,
and perish in the abyss of matter. And how can it ever attune itself
to the divine harmony of the highest Principle, when that harmony is
destroyed by the mere presence, within the Sanctuary in preparation,
of such animal passions? How can harmony prevail and conquer, when the
soul is stained and distracted with the turmoil of passions and the terrestrial
desires of the bodily senses, or even of the "Astral man"?

For this "Astral" - the shadowy "double" (in
the animal as in man) is not the companion of the divine Ego but
of the earthly body. It is the link between the personal SELF,
the lower consciousness of Manas and the Body, and is the vehicle
of transitory, not of immortal life. Like the shadow projected
by man, it follows his movements and impulses slavishly and mechanically,
and leans therefore to matter without ever ascending to Spirit. It is
only when the power of the passions is dead altogether, and when they
have been crushed and annihilated in the retort of an unflinching will;
when not only all the lusts and longings of the flesh are dead, but also
the recognition of the personal Self is killed out and the "astral" has
been reduced in consequence to a cipher, that the Union with the "Higher
Self" can take place. Then when the "Astral" reflects
only the conquered man, the still living but no more the longing, selfish
personality, then the brilliant Augoeides, the divine SELF, can
vibrate in conscious harmony with both the poles of the human Entity
- the man of matter purified, and the ever pure Spiritual Soul - and
stand in the presence of the MASTER SELF, the Christos of the mystic
Gnostic, blended, merged into, and one with IT forever.* (* Those who
would feel inclined to see three Egos in one man will show themselves
unable to perceive the metaphysical meaning. Man is a trinity composed
of Body, Soul and Spirit; but man is nevertheless one, and
is surely not his body. It is the latter which is the property, the transitory
clothing of the man. The three "Egos" are MAN in his three
aspects on the astral, intellectual or psychic, and the Spiritual planes,
or states.)

How then can it be thought possible for a man to enter
the "straight
gate" of occultism when his daily and hourly thoughts are bound
up with worldly things, desires of possession and power, with lust, ambition
and duties, which, however honorable, are still of the earth earthy?
Even the love for wife and family - the purest as the most unselfish
of human affections - is a barrier to real occultism. For whether
we take as an example the holy love of a mother for her child, or that
of a husband for his wife, even in these feelings, whenanalyzed
to the very bottom, and thoroughly sifted, there is still selfishness in
the first, and an egoisme a deux in the second instance.
What mother would not sacrifice without a moment's hesitation hundreds
of thousands of lives for that of the child of her heart? and what lover
or true husband would not break the happiness of every other man and
woman around him to satisfy the desire [10] of one whom he loves?
This is but natural, we shall be told. Quite so; in the light of the
code of human affections; less so, in that of divine universal love.
For, while the heart is full of thoughts for a little group of selves, near
and dear to us, how shall the rest of mankind fare in our souls? What
percentage of love and care will there remain to bestow on the "great
orphan"? And how shall the "still small voice" make itself
heard in a soul entirely occupied with its own privileged tenants? What
room is there left for the needs of Humanity en bloc to impress
themselves upon, or even receive a speedy response? And yet he who would
profit by the wisdom of the universal mind, has to reach it through the
whole of Humanity without distinction of race, complexion, religion
or social status. It is altruism, not ego-ism even in its
most legal and noble conception, that can lead the unit to merge its
little Self in the Universal Selves. It is to these needs and
to this work that the true disciple of true Occultism has to devote himself,
if he would obtain theosophy, divine Wisdom and Knowledge.

The aspirant has to choose absolutely between the life of the world
and the life of Occultism. It is useless and vain to endeavour to unite
the two, for no one can serve two masters and satisfy both. No one can
serve his body and the higher Soul, and do his family duty and his universal
duty, without depriving either one or the other of its rights; for he
will either lend his ear to the "still small voice" and fail
to hear the cries of his little ones, or, he will listen but to the wants
of the latter and remain deaf to the voice of Humanity. It would be a
ceaseless, a maddening struggle for almost any married man, who would
pursue true practical Occultism, instead of its theoretical philosophy.
For he would find himself ever hesitating between the voice of the impersonal
divine love of Humanity, and that of the personal, terrestrial love.
And this could only lead him to fail in one or the other, or perhaps
in both his duties. Worse than this. For, whoever indulges after having
pledged himself to OCCULTISM in the gratification of a terrestrial
love or lust,must feel an almost immediate result; that of
being irresistibly dragged from the impersonal divine state down to the
lower plane of matter. Sensual, or even mental self-gratification, involves
the immediate loss of the powers of spiritual discernment; the voice
of the MASTER can no longer be distinguished from that of one's passions or
even that of a Dugpa;the right from wrong; sound morality
from mere casuistry. The Dead Sea fruit assumes the most glorious mystic
appearance, only to turn to ashes on the lips, and to gall in the heart
resulting in: -

And once being mistaken and having acted on their mistakes, most men
shrink from realizing their error, and thus descend deeper and deeper
into the mire. And, although it is the intention that decides primarily
whether white or black magic is exercised, yet the results
even of involuntary, unconscious sorcery cannot fail to be productive
of bad Karma. Enough has been said to show that sorcery is any kind
of evil influence exercised upon other persons, who suffer, or
make other persons suffer, in consequence. Karma is a heavy
stone splashed [11] in the quiet waters of Life; and it must produce
ever widening circles of ripples, carried wider and wider, almost ad
infinitum. Such causes produced have to call forth effects, and these
are evidenced in the just laws of Retribution.

Much of this may be avoided if people will only abstain
from rushing into practices neither the nature nor importance of which
they understand. No one is expected to carry a burden beyond his strength
and powers. There are "natural-born magicians"; Mystics and
Occultists by birth, and by right of direct inheritance from a series
of incarnations and aeons of suffering and failures. These are passion-proof,
so to say. No fires of earthly origin can fan into a flame any of their
senses or desires; no human voice can find response in their souls, except
the great cry of Humanity. These only may be certain of success. But
they can be met only far and wide, and they pass through the narrow gates
of Occultism because they carry no personal luggage of human transitory
sentiments along with them. They have got rid of the feeling of the lower
personality, paralyzed thereby the "astral" animal, and the
golden, but narrow gate is thrown open before them. Not so with those
who have to carry yet for several incarnations the burden of sins committed
in previous lives, and even in their present existence. For such, unless
they proceed with great caution, the golden gate of Wisdom may get transformed
into the wide gate and the broad way "that leadeth unto destruction," and
therefore "many be they that enter in thereby." This is the
Gate of the Occult arts, practiced for selfish motives and in the absence
of the restraining and beneficent influence of ATMA-VIDYA. We are in
the Kali Yuga and its fatal influence is a thousand-fold more powerful
in the West than it is in the East; hence the easy preys made by the
Powers of the Age of Darkness in this cyclic struggle, and the many delusions
under which the world is now labouring. One of these is the relative
facility with which men fancy they can get at the "Gate" and
cross the threshold of Occultism without any great sacrifice. It is the
dream of most Theosophists, one inspired by desire for Power and personal
selfishness, and it is not such feelings that can ever lead them to the
coveted goal. For, as well said by one believed to have sacrificed himself
for Humanity - "narrow is the gate and straightened the way that
leadeth unto life" eternal, and therefore "few be they that
find it." So straight indeed, that at the bare mention of some of
the preliminary difficulties the affrighted Western candidates turn back
and retreat with a shudder ...

Let them stop here and attempt no more in their great weakness. For
if, while turning their backs on the narrow gate, they are dragged by
their desire for the Occult one step in the direction of the broad and
more inviting Gates of that golden mystery which glitters in the light
of illusion, woe to them! It can lead only to Dugpa-ship, and they will
be sure to find themselves very soon landed on that ViaFatale of
the Inferno, over whose portal Dante read the words: -

Few clues have been given on the art of meditating in our teachings.
Nevertheless, with the pressure of an age bent on forcing its consciousness
through the gates of the inner spheres, Theosophists are proving that
many clues were actually imbedded in our teachings, perhaps waiting for
the right century to germinate. Articles and books, such as the Quest
publication, Approaches to Meditation, (edited by Joy Mills), illustrate
the birth of new understanding - an outcome of patient assimilation of
the boundless wisdom. They have grasped the hidden keys to be turned
in centuries to come.

One such clue is the advice upon "meditation with a seed." By
means of it, according to Patanjali, Isvara, the spirit of man,
gradually becomes untouched by works or fruits of works, and raises by
degrees the lower self to higher elevations. We can change the mind into "the
likeness of what is pondered upon." This means that we also select
a more "subtle object in view" as time goes on, since disenchantment
with sensuous objects has led us to wish to rise above them.

The Buddhist interprets this process as a purifying of the mind, as
it emerges over the horizon of the Buddha Fields. Abstracting itself
from any physical geography, it begins to perceive in terms of "mental
events" (attachments, lusts, jealousies, delusions) which are called "unskillful" dharmas.
Other "mental events" are perceived as "skillful" dharmas
which arise with kindness, service, acts of renunciation and devotion.
We note that these last qualities are all reinforced by acts of self-surrender
issuing spontaneously from our inner nature, as we allow them play in
the Buddha Fields. This idea captivates the imagination. The challenge
it presents to the blind and sensuous phases of our existence is clear.
The latter, being apparent throughout the day, need constant uprooting.
But the Buddhist way of calling them "events" gives us a hold
on them, a grasp for their uprooting. The Dharma, if understood as doing
all which lies before us with a clear mind and joyous heart, has prepared
the soil for the seeding of new merits.

There is a tradition of Sainthood in the East which has as its ideal
the returning again and again into worldly life for the salvation of
the whole of humanity, even by one who has "gone beyond." Not
because of Karma, but for the sake of "Dharma," he returns,
according to the vow of this tradition. It is the Bodhisattvic ideal
of the Buddhist. Giving examples of such "surrendering," Chogyam
Trungpa in his work, Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, reminds
us of the basic formula in Buddhism:

"I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in the Dharma. I take
refuge in the Sangha."

The last phrase can be regarded as a "community of people on the
spiritual path," not to be leaned upon, Trungpa reminds us (p. 27),
but as "companions ... those who walk with me." [13]

Realizing that we never progress alone, but by raising the whole of
life with us, we take refuge from pride. We can never fall into the delusion
of messiahship, if we take refuge in the joy of sharing the accomplishments
of our companions. How many errors of envy could be averted by such relinquishment
of selfhood, by surrendering to a larger whole, as a fragment of seaweed
surrenders to the tide.

In The Opening of the Wisdom-Eye, the
XIVth Dalai Lama writes: "The four unlimiteds are friendliness,
compassion, joy-with-others, and equananmity ... They are called 'limitless'
because the mental object of them is all beings." As he continues
to describe these unlimiteds (p. 91), their cultivation is clearly only
a means. They are virtues experienced in the practice of wisdom. He writes,
for instance: "Equanimity
is necessary in those situations where one cannot bring about any change
and in which, therefore, one should remain aloof." In The Voice
of the Silence, however, Compassion is given as a stronger force.
It is the Law of Laws, and indeed its Field is Unlimited.

There was in ancient China a stainless Goddess of the
Matsu cult named "The
Imperial Consort of Heaven."* (* The Chinese Way in Religion,
by Laurence Thompson (Dickinson, Encino, 1973.).) By following the clues
to our interior Buddhic Fields and considering the above precepts in
our lives, may we also become consorts and compeers of Heaven, that the
hungry fields of earth be reshaped in its image.

*

THE WIDOW'S MITEVonda Urban

How fascinating it is to observe human nature! And human nature is,
of course, the aggregate antics of all of us. In some instances, our
baffling or startling behavior veers away from seemingly normal courses
of conduct unexpectedly to spurt out into unusual or bizarre patterns,
and we are astonished and stunned by the apparently abnormal reactions.
But for the most part, our habit grooves are so predictable that it is
relatively easy to, anticipate how we will react in given situations.
In fact, our reactions are carefully monitored and constantly used by
shrewd manipulators and merchandisers, whose slick, Madison Avenue sales
pitch influences all areas of life, with specialized appeals expertly
tailored to reach all levels of response, for the purpose of stimulating
our insatiable desires that just have to have this, that or whatever
happens to be "in" at the moment.

But never in the history of the modern world has there been a marketing
skill so successful, or a package so persuasive, as the commercial institution
of the Christmas Festival; and nothing can equal the sophistry of the
ecclesiastical hucksters, whose genius in the exploitation of human credulity [14] employs
highly perfected techniques that prey upon fear, pride and reward to
extract obedience to their dictates. Perhaps the most remarkable example
of this is the widow's mite, that dutiful pittance of pennies from all
over the world, flowing in a cascade of inestimable wealth, constantly
feeding their voracious coffers.

This points out rather vividly that quirk in our human nature which
wears a "for show or for blow" psychology; a dual standard,
holding one conduct before the world - either for its approval, or because
the law and order of society demands it - while reserving a different
scale of values when free from the pressure of being watched; and where
in some instances, integrity is relaxed proportionately to what can safely
be gotten away with. The Mahatma Letters speak of this dual standard
in the example of the European gentleman of H. P. Blavatsky's
era, whose perfect manners often belied the real feelings and hidden
motives lurking behind a mask of politeness and respectability.

And yet, if we have courage enough to look at ourselves squarely and
impersonally, we might see that whenever we shirk responsibility by seeking
to avoid our duty, or when we want something for nothing, these are blind
spots in our character, and are the very traits that warp motive and
judgement, distorting our sense of values that becomes gullible to exploitation.
Nor is the study of the Ancient Wisdom in itself a magic panacea, suddenly
lifting us out of this mire of Maya into instant goodness and selfless
devotion to the Great Cause of humanity; far from it! These noble teachings
point out the path, but spiritual growth is entirely in our own hands,
for we follow that path only by living it; and it does no good whatsoever
to enunciate with exquisite expression, "Inaction in a deed of
mercy becomes an action in a deadly sin," while our actions
easily dismiss our responsibility and duty to help another with the flimsy
excuse, "it's wrong to get involved in their Karma" ...

Responsibility is not concerned with self or with Karma. When we have
become responsible, there is no need to pressure our conduct into doing
our duty or any good deeds through impressive gimmicks that advertise
what we have either done or failed to do. Responsibility is only concerned
with duty; and the measure of it that we are capable of shouldering is
directly in keeping with an equal degree of compassion, selflessness
and impersonality.

Oddly enough, while it would seem that students of Theosophy should
be quick to see a responsibility to pitch in with the work load and material
support of the Theosophical Movement, it is more than a little disappointing
to observe that, in fact, the very opposite is true; that - apart from
many deeply dedicated and self-sacrificing students who give their all
- by far, the majority of us who line up so eagerly to take these
Teachings have little, if any, concern to give our helping hand
in assistance. Of course, we will never be asked to do so; such
participation must come of our own volition and this will happen
only when we grow selfless enough, which means responsible enough, to
see that it is our duty - nay, our privilege - to feed the flame of light
with our own breath. [15]

Today, the Theosophical Movement lives on in centers
of light scattered throughout the world; centers which are staffed with
a mere handful of devoted workers in little groups that hold together
virtually with scotch tape. These tired but tireless few are indeed overworked
and undernourished; yet, without adequate funds, they go on and on without
interruption, cranking out the genuine teachings of the Ancient Wisdom
for others to have and use. It was hardly different in H. P. Blavatsky's
day, as the following quote from The Key to Theosophy illustrates
so well. "No
working member should set too great value on his personal progress or
proficiency in Theosophic studies; but must be prepared rather to do
as much altruistic work as lies in his power. He should not leave the
whole of the heavy burden and responsibility of the Theosophical movement
on the shoulders of the few devoted workers. Each member ought to feel
it his duty to take what share he can in the common work, and help it
by every means in his power" (p. 252.).

There is always a greater obligation of responsibility upon those who
are stronger and better equipped to serve; but this in no way excuses
anyone; for within the context of our own capacity to give, it is what
we do for the Theosophical Movement that tells what we really think of
Theosophy. No one who truly loves these teachings can fail to see
his duty. This is a telling test of responsibility - no kindergarten
tactics of fancy scoreboards or tattling financial chairs here - only
selfless service; unasked, unmeasured, freely given - the test that separates
the men from the boys!

*

"The Theosophical movement was begun as a work of the Brotherhood
of which H.P.B. is a member, and in which the great Initiate, who was
by her called Master, is one of the Chiefs ... It was started among Western
people by Western people, the two chief agents being H.P.B., a Russian,
and H. S. Olcott, an American. The place where it was started was also
Western - the City of New York ... The fact is significant that the Theosophical
movement was thus, as said, begun in the Western world, in the country
where the preparations for the new root race are going on, and where
the new root is to appear. This was ... according to the law of cycles,
which is part of evolution ... This movement has, among others, an object
which should be borne in mind. It is the union of the West with the East,
the revival in the East of those great nesses which once were hers, the
development in the West of that Occultism which is appropriate for it,
so that it may, in its turn, hold out a helping hand to those of older
blood who may have become fixed in one idea, or degraded in spirituality
... The West has its own work and its duty, its own life and development.
Those it should perform, aspire to and follow, and not try to run to
other fields where the duties of other men are to be performed." -
W. Q. Judge, Letters That Have Helped Me, Vol. II, Letter III. [16]

*

KNOWLEDGE AS A LIVING SEED

It is a vital truth that real knowledge, if unused, injures the mind
that keeps it locked-up and barren. Knowledge is not a dead thing like
the fruit of the loom and the easel. Knowledge is a seed, a living germ;
it should be sown, it should be active, should fructify. He who stores
up spiritual truths as mere intellectual acquisitions soon has a mental
and moral plethora, and ends by turning from his normal food. The mind
has its indigestions as well as the stomach, and of more deadly order,
for all things have more power as we proceed inwards. In the natural
procedure of life, we learn one thing at a time, and it is learned by
living it. A truth may first be intellectually perceived (so far as our
consciousness of its entrance goes), but if it is not then lived out,
it remains as a point of stagnation in the mind and more or less impedes
the circulation of Thought. It is thus that our mental limitations accrue
by degrees. To live a truth, we naturally begin by conforming our daily
actions to it. Its overflow is first felt by those nearest to us; they
are blessed or banned by our use or misuse of it. Equally, if we withhold
it, they are deprived of a benefit to which they have a moral right.
Although they may be unconscious of the loss, we have injured them in
direct proportion to the value of the truth withheld. - August Waldersee,
F.T.S., in The Path, Vol. III, October, 1888, p. 223.

IN PREPARATION:Theosophy: A General View of Occult Doctrine. By Dr. C. J. Ryan. Reincarnation:
A Lost Chord in Modern Thought. By L. L. Wright.Man and His Seven Principles. By L. L. Wright.Evolution: Who and What is Man? By Dr. H. T. Edge.Man's Divine Parentage and Destiny: Rounds and Races. By G. van Pelt.Cycles: In Universe and Man. By Dr. Lydia Ross.Hierarchies: The Cosmic Ladder of Life. By G. van Pelt.The Astral Light: Nature's Picture Gallery. By Dr. H. T. Edge.Psychic Powers. By Helen Todd.

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